...or C'mon Mon-roe...
Regardless, the Tigers won another close one. Pitching has been solid in the wins, and they keep giving up two runs or less.
The third game of the Orioles series should have been a shutout. The balk rule makes sense in a lot of ways, but in a 4-0 game, when a pitcher is concentrating on the hitter (and only the hitter), he should not have to pause. Either way, the Tigers won the game, but missed out on getting their first shutout of the year.
Craig Monroe did it again. This guy should be hypnotized to think every at-bat is for the game. Just like Kenny Rogers got pumped up in the playoffs, Monroe seems to hit the big home run whenever he comes up. Granted, he is hitting .389 over the last week, so he came in hot, but to keep it up and hit the ball over the 410 sign in 40 degree weather with it raining is a heck of a blast.
The Tigers are in great shape thus far. If they win every three game series 2-1 and split every two and four game series, they would win 99 games. No one who bleeds orange and blue would have a problem with that. But that will not happen. What has happened so far is that the meat of the Tigers lineup is not hitting. Sheffield is hitting about .100, Ordonez his doing about the same, and the Tigers are in first place 5% of the way through the season.
I know 5% isn't much, but when a team is not scoring runs and getting players on base, to win five of eight is a good thing. If the pitching stays this solid and the hitting comes around as history says it should, then the Tigers may win those 99 games.
One change that could be brought up is switching Ordonez and Sheffield in the lineup. Now, I have no problem with the way Jim Leyland manages, but Magglio Ordonez doesn't have as much talent as he had five years ago. He's still a heck of a ballplayer, but putting him in front of Sheffield, a guy who can take a walk, will get him a pitch or two more to hit per at-bat. Sheffield will then go in front of Carlos Guillen, who no one wants to pitch to with runners on base.
If Sheffield were hitting, any time there were two outs late in a close game, I would walk him to get to Ordonez. If their positions in the batting order were flipped, then pitchers would have to pitch to Ordonez or face Sheffield. Some might say "What's the difference," but I think facing Carlos Guillen with runners on first and second would be better for a lot of people than facing Gary Sheffield with a runner on first.
It might not really matter, but changing something seems to help sometimes. Heck, I'd even tell Brandon Inge to bat left handed if I thought it would do something at this point. I was glad to see him get a base hit, and he hit the ball pretty hard there, but he seems to be overswinging, as does Sheffield and Ordonez. They should all start just trying to lace the ball into left field and get on for the guys that are hitting.
The Tigers start a four game set with Toronto tonight. It's Maroth against Ohka. Maroth should be able to handle himself on his road back. He's a crafty left hander, and if his pitches are working, the Tigers should win this game. Hopefully, Bonderman can take down Roy Halliday this time. He has been pitching well enough to win with nothing to show for it so far...
